New Parts, New You
Welcome back to Rusty’s Corner!
Times have changed. Literally… about two weeks ago, in fact. But what I’m really trying to get at is how we, as Jeep owners, go about transitioning from one model to the next. My Mustang of a grandfather swears by his CJ7, proclaiming it was, is, and always will be the best vehicle on the road. “I have a Jeep”, he’d say. “Why buy another? A Jeep is a Jeep!” But despite all its grandeur, time has still torn his blue Renegade right down to the frame. Grandpa is gone now and his CJ remains. Let me share my secret of how I intend to keep this ol’ horse moving forward through time. [Fake, I know, but does it matter? CJ and character can be switched depending on desired Part focus]
First things first, I grew up and live in the Snowbelt of Ohio. So this Jeep has seen some serious salt. It’s better to say its frame is a combination of steel and Kleenex. One wrong sneeze is likely to make it into the final edit of the next Avengers movie. Without a strong frame, I can’t guarantee the body, let alone the engine mount, will stay secured.
I’ll start from the rear and work my way forward. Rust Buster Frameworks has the Shackle Mounts that I need, Parts RB0001R and L . For a little more than $100 bucks a pop, I can reach my first milestone. Rust Buster designed these straight from factory CAD/3D models, so as long as I install it correctly then the frame is sure to be as good as new.
Upon ordering the set I noticed they threw in the instructions listed on the site. Which is pretty great, considering I don’t have any sort of welder. I could cut the thing apart just fine, but it would end my journey. So it’s a nice addition and gesture especially since all I would need to do is take my CJ and these two boxes to a shop and tell them to “Just do it!” and sit back and wait. Of course, if you have your own lift and protective equipment, then you’re a bigger man than I, and I say go for it!
My rear cross member is in solid shape, so I’ll take a step further forward and aim for replacing my Rear Spring Mounts. Fortunately Rust Buster offers these as well (parts RB1003L and R), which is nice because dropping my credit card in more baskets makes me anxious. These are fashioned the same way as the Shackle Mounts: cold rolled steel, designed from factory CAD, etc. They state that they’re “EZ Slip [on]”, though. Taking a look at their instructions on their site, they’re designed with a ‘C’ channel, which means it slides up onto the bottom of your frame. Remember when I mentioned my Jeep is up against salt? Frames tend to rust from the bottom-up because of it. I’ll just need to cut away the bad, and stitch the good back on. They make it look so easy! Mrs. Rusty would never allow it though!
This is a solid first step, I feel. For now I need to find out who can do this work for me. Luckily Rust Buster offers the free-of-charge service of finding a certified shop near me. Catching the theme here? They seem to be tackling the One-Stop-Shop market: Solutions, instructions, and installers. Hope they leave a mint on the pillow.